Application pen with an inclined tip end

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an application pen ( 10 ) for applying a fluid substance (S) on a body part, said application pen comprising an applicator head ( 12 ) made of a porous material ( 20 ), said applicator head comprising a first part ( 22 ) and a second part ( 24 ) inclined (α) relative to each other, said first and second parts being single-piece.
         The applicator head is obtainable by a method comprising the following steps:   forming a rod made of the porous material, said rod extending parallel to the first axis and having a first transversal dimension; then   removing a portion of porous material, by grinding, in an off-centered manner, from a segment of the rod, in order to reduce ( 27 ) the first transversal dimension of said segment, said segment including a junction ( 30 ) between the first and second parts.

The present invention relates to an applicator head for applying a fluidsubstance on a body part, said applicator comprising an applicator headmade of a porous material, said applicator head comprising a first partextending parallel to a first axis and a second part extending parallelto a second axis, said first and second axes being inclined relative toeach other, said first and second parts being single-piece.

More specifically, the present invention relates to an applicator headfor applying a cosmetic product, preferably a make-up composition, on askin surface, preferably the skin of eyebrows. A “cosmetic product” isin particular, in the meaning of the present invention, a product suchas defined in EC Regulation N° 1223/2009 of the European Parliament andof the Council, dated Nov. 30, 2009, in relation with cosmetic products.

Examples of applicator heads for applying make-up on skin are known fromEP1336353 and FR3007256.

Such applicator heads allow the drawing on skin of small lines, in orderto mimic eyebrow hairs and to give a visual effect of thickenedeyebrows, without unwantedly staining the skin.

However, such applicator heads imply dipping the application elements ina fluid cosmetic product before applying said elements on the skin. Thedipping step, covering the whole head with product, may lead toimprecise application, unwanted stains or too thick lines.

It is known to avoid the dipping step by providing a felt-tipapplicator, such as the application pen described in documentUS2009/0317423. However, a tip aligned with a principal axis of theapplication pen is unsuitable to a quick and easy make-up of theeyebrows.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problems describedabove. Accordingly, the present invention relates to an application pensuch as mentioned above, obtainable by a method comprising the followingsteps: forming a rod made of the porous material, said rod extendingparallel to the first axis and having a first transversal dimension;then removing a portion of porous material, in an off-centered manner,from a segment of the rod, in order to reduce the first transversaldimension of said segment, said segment including a junction between thefirst and second parts, said portion of porous material being removed bygrinding.

According to preferred embodiments, the application pen comprises one ormore of the following features, taken in isolation or according to anytechnical possible combination:

-   -   the second part of the applicator head has a shape designed for        the application of the fluid substance on a body part;    -   the second part of the applicator head has a pointed shape,        preferably a tapered shape;    -   the porous material is chosen among a foam, a felt and a fibrous        material;    -   the application pen further comprises a container filled with an        amount of the fluid substance, an end of the first part of the        applicator head being in contact with the fluid substance;    -   the application pen further comprises a longitudinal body        extending parallel to the first axis, the applicator head being        attached to an end of the longitudinal body, said longitudinal        body encasing or being attached to the container;    -   the fluid substance is a cosmetic composition, preferably a        make-up composition.

The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing such anapplication pen, including the formation of an application head throughthe following steps: forming a rod made of a porous material, said rodextending parallel to the first axis and having a first transversaldimension; then removing a portion of porous material from a segment ofthe rod, by grinding, in an off-centered manner, said segment includinga junction between the first and second parts, the first transversaldimension of said segment being thereby reduced.

According to preferred embodiments, the method comprises one or more ofthe following features, taken in isolation or in combination:

-   -   the rod of porous material is formed through the following        steps: forming elongated rods by hot shaping, out of original        yarns; then impregnating the elongated rods by a resin, then        drying and curing said elongated rods; then cutting the        elongated rods to an appropriate length;    -   the method includes a further step of inserting the application        head into a longitudinal body encasing a container filled with        fluid substance.

The invention will be better understood, upon reading of the followingdescription, taken solely as an example, in view of the appendeddrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side, partially cross-sectional view of an application penaccording to an embodiment of the invention, comprising as applicatorhead;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an intermediate product of a method formanufacturing the applicator head of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of the intermediate product of FIG. 2;and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a method for manufacturing theintermediate product of FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 1 shows an application pen 10, according to an embodiment of theinvention. The application pen 10 is designed for the application of afluid substance, preferably a cosmetic composition, on a body part,preferably on a skin surface. In particular, the application pen 10 isdesigned for the application of a cosmetic composition, preferablymake-up, on the skin of eyebrows.

The application pen 10 comprises an applicator head 12, intended to comeinto contact with the body part for the application of the fluidsubstance thereon. The application pen 10 also comprises a longitudinalbody 14, extending along a first axis 15. An end 16 of said longitudinalbody is attached to the applicator head 12. The longitudinal body 14encases a container 18 filled with an amount of the fluid substance S,preferably of the cosmetic composition.

The fluid substance S, preferably the cosmetic composition, is morepreferably a make-up composition, comprising colored or dark pigments.As an example, a suitable composition is an eye-liner composition, suchas the composition of Art Liner® marketed by Lancôme.

The applicator head 12 is made of a first porous material 20, as will bedetailed below. The applicator head 12 comprises a first part 22 and asecond part 24, said first and second parts being single-piece.

The first part 22 has a substantially cylindrical shape, extending alongthe first axis 15. A base of the cylinder may be circular, oval,polygonal or irregularly shaped. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the firstpart 22 has a circular base of a first diameter 27.

The first part 22 extends from a first end 28 of the applicator head 12to a junction 30 between the first and second parts.

The second part 24 has a shape designed for the application of the fluidsubstance on a body part, preferably a pointed shape. In the embodimentof FIG. 1, the second part 24 has a conical shape, expanding from asecond, pointed end 32 of the applicator head 12, to the junction 30between the first and second parts. The cone extends along a second axis34.

The first 15 and second 34 axes are coplanar and inclined relative toeach other, forming an angle α. Preferably, the angle α is comprisedbetween 5° and 85°, more preferably between 20° and 50°.

An intersection of the applicator head 12 with a plane including thefirst and second axes 15, 34 forms two longitudinal edges 36, 37. Afirst, internal edge 36 is situated in the concavity of the elbow formedby the first and second parts 22, 24. A second, external edge 37 issituated in the convexity of the elbow formed by the first and secondparts 22, 24.

The junction 30 between the first 22 and second 24 parts of theapplicator head 12 has substantially the shape of a curved lineresulting from the intersection of a cylinder and a cone, said cylinderand cone being inclined relative to each other.

The first end 28 of the first part 22 of the applicator head 12 isdesigned to be in contact with the fluid substance, preferably thecosmetic composition, so that capillary forces conduct a flow of fluidsubstance through the porous material 20 to the second end 32 of thesecond part 24. The pointed end 32 is then able to apply the fluidsubstance by contact with a body surface, preferably a skin surface.

Preferably, the first porous material 20 is chosen among a felt, afoamed material and a fibrous material such as a polyamide or apolyester. Preferably, the fibrous material is a soft resin forcosmetics.

The longitudinal body 14 is preferably made of a moldable, thermoplasticpolymer such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester or polyamide.

The container 18 preferably comprises a block of a second porousmaterial 40, impregnated with the fluid substance S. The second porousmaterial 40 is preferably of a lower density than the first porousmaterial 20. As shown on FIG. 1, the first end 28 of the applicator head12 is in contact with the second porous material 40, so that the firstpart 22 is impregnated with the fluid substance S by capillarity.

A method for manufacturing the applicator head 12 will now be described,illustrated by FIGS. 2 and 3. As a first step, a rod 42 is formed out ofthe first porous material 20, for example by a method such as describedbelow.

As shown on FIG. 2, the rod 42 is cylindrical, extending along a thirdaxis 40 parallel to the axis 15. The rod 42 has a circular base of asecond diameter 43. The second diameter 43 is superior to the firstdiameter 27. A first end 44 of the rod 42 corresponds to the first end28 of the applicator head 12. A second end 46 of the rod 42 correspondsto the second end 32.

As a second step of the method for manufacturing the applicator head 12,an off-centered portion 50, shown on FIG. 3, is removed from the rod 42in order to form the shape of the application head 12 as shown on FIG.1.

The cross-section plan of FIG. 3 includes the first and second axes 15,34. A first segment 52 of the rod 42 extends from the first end 44 to aninflexion 54 of the internal edge 36 of the application head 12. On thefirst segment 52, the off-centered portion 50 is comprised between twocylinders of respective diameters 27 and 43, said cylinders beingtangent at the external edge 37.

More precisely, on the first segment 52 of the rod 42, a transversalsection of the removed portion 50 is crescent-shaped, the tips of thecrescent being on either side of the external edge 37. Said externaledge 37 is situated on an external surface of the rod 42.

A second segment 56 of the rod 42 extends from the second end 46 to aninflexion 58 of the external edge 37. On the second segment, the removedportion 50 includes all the external surface of the rod 42, with theexception of the pointed end 32 of the second part 24.

On a third segment 60 of the rod, comprised between the first and secondsegments 52, 56, the removed portion 50 is complementary to the shape ofthe junction 30 between the first and second parts 22, 24 of theapplicator head 12.

The off-centered portion 50 is removed by grinding. Preferably, thegrinding is carried out with a mechanical machine having an abrasivedisk turning at a speed of more than 1.000 turns per minute.

The resulting applicator head 12 has first and second parts 22, 24inclined relative to each other without torsion stress in the material20 of the junction 30.

The applicator head 12 is then inserted into a longitudinal body 14, inorder to form an application pen 10.

A method for manufacturing the rod 42 will now be described, illustratedby FIG. 4.

As a first step, elongated rods 70 are formed by hot shaping 72, out oforiginal yarns 74. The elongated rods 70 are then impregnated with resinin a second step 76 and dried and cured in a third step 78. As a fourthstep, the elongated rods are cut 80 into rough sticks 82, then the roughsticks 82 are cut 84 to the appropriate length into the rods 42 of FIGS.2 and 3.

A method for the use of the application pen 10 will now be described,the fluid substance S being a make-up composition with dark pigments. Auser seizes the longitudinal body 14, in order to place the pointed,second end 32 of the applicator head 12 in contact with his/her skin,preferably on one of his/her eyebrow. As the first end 28 of theapplicator head 12 is in contact with the container 18 of fluidsubstance S, the second end 32 is impregnated with said substance bycapillarity. Therefore, as the user moves the pointed, second end 32along his/her eyebrow, a trace of make-up is left on the skin of theuser.

1. An application pen for applying a fluid substance on a body part,said application pen comprising an applicator head made of a porousmaterial, said applicator head comprising a first part extendingparallel to a first axis and a second part extending parallel to asecond axis, said first and second axes being inclined relative to eachother, said first and second parts being single-piece, wherein theapplicator head is obtainable by a method comprising the followingsteps: forming a rod made of the porous material, said rod extendingparallel to the first axis and having a first transversal dimension;then removing a portion of porous material, in an off-centered manner,from a segment of the rod, in order to reduce the first transversaldimension of said segment, said segment including a junction between thefirst and second parts, said portion of porous material being removed bygrinding.
 2. The application pen according to claim 1, wherein thesecond part of the applicator head has a shape designed for theapplication of the fluid substance on a body part.
 3. The applicationpen according to claim 2, wherein the second part of the applicator headhas a pointed shape.
 4. The application pen according to claim 1,wherein the porous material is chosen among a foam, a felt and a fibrousmaterial.
 5. The application pen according to claim 1, furthercomprising a container filled with an amount of the fluid substance, anend of the first part of the applicator head being in contact with thefluid substance.
 6. The application pen according to claim 5, furthercomprising a longitudinal body extending parallel to the first axis, theapplicator head being attached to an end of the longitudinal body, saidlongitudinal body encasing or being attached to the container.
 7. Theapplication pen according to claim 5, wherein the fluid substance is acosmetic composition.
 8. A method for manufacturing an application penaccording to claim 1, including the formation of an application headthrough the following steps: forming a rod made of a porous material,said rod extending parallel to the first axis and having a firsttransversal dimension; then removing a portion of porous material from asegment of the rod, by grinding, in an off-centered manner, said segmentincluding a junction between the first and second parts, the firsttransversal dimension of said segment being thereby reduced.
 9. Themethod according to claim 8, wherein the rod of porous material isformed through the following steps: forming elongated rods by hotshaping, out of original yarns; then impregnating the elongated rods bya resin, then drying and curing said elongated rods; then cutting theelongated rods to an appropriate length.
 10. The method according toclaim 8, including a further step of inserting the application head intoa longitudinal body encasing a container filled with fluid substance.11. The application pen according to claim 2, wherein the second part ofthe applicator head has a tapered shape.
 12. The application penaccording to claim 11, wherein the porous material is chosen among afoam, a felt and a fibrous material.
 13. The application pen accordingto claim 2, wherein the porous material is chosen among a foam, a feltand a fibrous material.
 14. The application pen according to claim 3,wherein the porous material is chosen among a foam, a felt and a fibrousmaterial.
 15. The application pen according to claim 2, furthercomprising a container filled with an amount of the fluid substance, anend of the first part of the applicator head being in contact with thefluid substance.
 16. The application pen according to claim 3, furthercomprising a container filled with an amount of the fluid substance, anend of the first part of the applicator head being in contact with thefluid substance.
 17. The application pen according to claim 4, furthercomprising a container filled with an amount of the fluid substance, anend of the first part of the applicator head being in contact with thefluid substance.
 18. The application pen according to claim 11, furthercomprising a container filled with an amount of the fluid substance, anend of the first part of the applicator head being in contact with thefluid substance.
 19. The application pen according to claim 6, whereinthe fluid substance is a cosmetic composition.
 20. The application penaccording to claim 11, wherein the fluid substance is a cosmeticcomposition.